Man builds spellbinding Diagon Alley in his driveway

A Seattle man built a lifesize version of Diagon Alley, complete with six shops, in his driveway to please his two daughters.

Jon Chambers' seven and 11-year-old daughters Avery and Haley asked him to build the street to decorate their home for Halloween - but he said they never actually expected him to do it.

He had time on his hands, however, having just quit his job at an app company, so he decided to make their dreams come true.

Photo: Jon Chambers

With a background in casual construction jobs, then his profession as a designer and creative director, Chambers was well placed to create the magical alley, with most of it built in his garage-cum-carpentry workshop at the back of the house.

He also 3D-printed many of the details that make the street come to life, including lanterns that look like iron, shop signs and a plasterwork-look Hogwarts crest.

Neighbours pitched in to help Chambers out, contributing materials and time. Amazingly, the whole thing took just two weeks to build.

The result is an extraordinarily lifelike row of shops including Eeylops Owl Emporium, Ollivanders wand shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Magical Menagerie, Flourish and Blotts bookshop and Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.

And best of all, visitors are being encouraged to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The disease recently claimed Matt Bencke, a friend and colleague of Chambers and his family, and his daughters chose the charity in Bencke's memory.

The street attracted 3000 visitors over Halloween, and will be open until the end of the year.

The only down side to the fantastical creation? The Chambers family currently have nowhere to park their car.

That won't be a problem when Chambers turns his mind to his next potential project, however, which will have a rather more lofty location.

"I’ve thought it would be cool to do a Millennium Falcon," Chambers says. "On the roof."